OAF News

Ontario Arts Council Foundation Announces Winners of the 2002 Lieutenant Governorís Awards for the Arts (The Jackman-Bickell Awards)

Toronto, December 11, 2002 ó The eighth annual Lieutenant Governor's Awards for the Arts (The Jackman-Bickell Awards) were awarded today to 17 arts organizations from throughout Ontario in a ceremony held at Queen's Park in Toronto.

These esteemed Awards, which are Canada's largest monetary prizes for arts organizations, recognize Ontario-based arts organizations for demonstrating exceptional private sector and community support, while maintaining a high level of artistic excellence.

The $300,000 awards programme is the only one of its kind in Canada. Since its creation by the Honourable Henry N.R. Jackman in 1995 when he was Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the programme has awarded $2,235,000 in 145 prizes to 81 different arts organizations throughout the province.

The 17 winning arts organizations recognized today by the Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable Henry N.R. Jackman, former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Victoria Jackman, Executive Director of the Henry N.R. Jackman Foundation, and David Windeyer, Secretary, Management Committee, J.P. Bickell Foundation, are based in Drayton, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Ottawa, and Toronto, Ontario. This year the Awards are disbursed as follows: one prize of $50,000; six prizes of $25,000; and 10 prizes of $10,000.

The Soulpepper Theatre Company is the recipient of the top prize of $50,000 for its many successful initiatives that generated private sector revenue. This is the second consecutive year that it has won the top prize and the third time in four years that it has been recognized with a Lieutenant Governor's Award for the Arts.

ìI congratulate each of the recipients today who have demonstrated just what a driving force creativity is; one that can move arts organizations toward success both on and off the stage,î said The Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. ìCreativity and ingenuity are key to success in every aspect of the Arts, in all areas of the province.î

ìThe 17 arts organizations that we are honoring today have shown us that institutional and artistic creativity go hand and hand,î VictoriaJackman, stated. ìToday's winners are emblematic of the thriving cultural scene in Ontario. We have success stories from the fields of music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts. Our winners attest to the enormous wealth of artistic experience that constantly enriches our common civic culture.î

The recipients of the 2002 Lieutenant Governor's Awards for the Arts are:

Arts Organization:

Based In Ontario:

Award:

Soulpepper Theatre Company

Toronto

$50,000

Cisco Systems Bluesfest

Ottawa

$25,000

Drayton Entertainment

Drayton, Grand Bend Penetanguishene,St. Jacobs

$25,000

The National Ballet of Canada

Toronto

$25,000

Opera Lyra Ottawa

Ottawa

$25,000

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra

Toronto

$25,000

Tarragon Theatre

Toronto

$25,000

The Aldeburgh Connection

Toronto

$10,000

Ballet Jˆrgen Canada

Toronto

$10,000

Canadian Art Foundation

Toronto

$10,000

Dancemakers

Toronto

$10,000

Festival 4-15, Ottawa Festival for Young Audiences

Ottawa

$10,000

The Fringe of Toronto TheatreFestival

Toronto

$10,000

The Grand Theatre

London

$10,000

Opera Atelier

Toronto

$10,000

Ottawa Chamber Music Society

Ottawa

$10,000

Theatre & Company

Kitchener-Waterloo

$10,000

Henry N.R. Jackman established The Lieutenant Governor's Awards for the Arts in 1995 through a $1 million gift to the Ontario Arts Council Foundation (OACF). In 1996, the awards were increased to $300,000 thanks to two annual commitments: an additional $75,000 from The Henry N. R. Jackman Foundation and $150,000 from the J.P. Bickell Foundation.

This year, the winners were chosen by a distinguished panel consisting of Victoria Jackman, Executive Director of the Henry N. R. Jackman Foundation, David Windeyer, Secretary, Management Committee, J.P. Bickell Foundation, Gwenlyn Setterfield, writer and former Executive Director of the Ontario Arts Council, and business executive, Nancy Lockhart.

The Ontario Arts Council Foundation manages the endowment that funds the Lieutenant Governor's Awards for the Arts, and administers the selection process. Established in 1991 as a public charitable foundation, the OACF manages funds given by individuals to support the arts, and administers the Ontario Government's $50,000,000 Arts Endowment Fund Program.